Multi-genre novelists

kal-el · Feb 6, 2010

I have a structured plan for my writing career, with ambitions to publish novels in different genres: horror, sci-fi, erotica, and children's novels too.

Would this go against me at all? Are publishers often reluctant to take on authors if they have published books that are not in the same genre as the one they're submitting?

For example, would a publisher of children's books consider a good manuscript if the author has already published a terrifying horror?

scarletpeaches · Feb 6, 2010

Use pen names for each genre. Plenty of writers do.

Parametric · Feb 6, 2010

I should think it would count for you that you've already published in other genres. That says that you (a) write at publication level, (b) interact with publishing people in a professional manner, (c) have not incited agent or editor to run screaming in the past, (d) have relevant experience, (e) have useful contacts, etc etc.

kal-el · Feb 6, 2010

scarletpeaches said:
Use pen names for each genre. Plenty of writers do.

But I want to remain the same person for all my work. It's what I want!

Parametric · Feb 6, 2010

kal-el said:
But I want to remain the same person for all my work. It's what I want!

Not so good. Can't be having the 12-year-old fans of your children's books accidentally buying your erotica. What's wrong with a pen name?

kal-el · Feb 6, 2010

Parametric said:
Not so good. Can't be having the 12-year-old fans of your children's books accidentally buying your erotica. What's wrong with a pen name?

Lol! I was just kidding. A pen name would be cool!

Parametric · Feb 6, 2010

kal-el said:
Lol! I was just kidding. A pen name would be cool!

Oh, I see. I assumed you were just very weird. :tongue

kuwisdelu · Feb 6, 2010

Parametric said:
I assumed you were just very weird.

I am

I want to keep the same name for all the cross-genre clusterf*cks I plan to write.

But then, I don't plan on writing any children's books...

job · Feb 6, 2010

kal-el said:
Would this go against me at all? Are publishers often reluctant to take on authors if they have published books that are not in the same genre as the one they're submitting?

Knowing you can write something and meet deadlines and behave in a businesslike manner would be very heartening to an agent or publisher.

kal-el said:
For example, would a publisher of children's books consider a good manuscript if the author has already published a terrifying horror?

At most, they might ask you to adopt a pen name.

An exception to this might be a Fundamentalist Christian publisher displeased to hear of your extensive backlist in Erotica.

JackinElgin · Feb 6, 2010

I too have a structured writing career plan.

Step 1: Be awesome.
Step 2: Repeat.

Jamesaritchie · Feb 6, 2010

kal-el said:
I have a structured plan for my writing career, with ambitions to publish novels in different genres: horror, sci-fi, erotica, and children's novels too.

Would this go against me at all? Are publishers often reluctant to take on authors if they have published books that are not in the same genre as the one they're submitting?

For example, would a publisher of children's books consider a good manuscript if the author has already published a terrifying horror?

It's fine, but you will likely have to use a pseudonym or three. Which is actually fun.

But it's like Lawrence Block's recipe for rabbit stew. . .first, catch a rabbit.

No matter how many genres you want to write in, it's best to concentrate all your energy on a single genre until you get the first novel sold.

kaitie · Feb 6, 2010

Dean Koontz has a children's book. :tongue

I've got a copy of it at home somewhere.

I agree, though, that the first step is to get the writing up to publishing quality and get published there. Having a career plan seems a bit premature if you haven't sold your first novel yet. Goals are good, but this isn't a business where we have as much control over our goals as we might with some other things. That's how it feels to me, anyway.

Also, something to think of when you're considering agents: if you want to write a lot of genres, try to find an agent who represents the various kinds. It might also be something worth talking about with an agent before you signed, because it's possible that your agent for mysteries may not do horror, so you might have to work out an arrangement to deal with that sort of thing if that's the case.

Birol · Feb 6, 2010

JackinElgin said:
I too have a structured writing career plan.

Step 1: Be awesome.
Step 2: Repeat.

kaitie said:
Dean Koontz has a children's book. I've got a copy of it at home somewhere.

Yes, but Dean Koontz isn't just an author. He's also a brand.

WildScribe · Feb 6, 2010

I already have a list of my own pen names half started in my head... and what shall I call myself for THIS genre? Hm...

Claudia Gray · Feb 6, 2010

This was originally my plan -- and I still intend to try on another genre fairly soon. But my agent told me to concentrate on where I first sold (YA paranormal romance) until I had learned who I was as a professional writer: How quickly I worked, how I dealt with the publishing process, what my strengths and weaknesses are, etc. I think it was very solid advice. Getting yourself strongly established in one genre can only help you in the long run and doesn't cut you off from any possibilities in the future.

Caitlin Black · Feb 6, 2010

Yeah, my plan is to write in multiple genres, but the first genre I get published in I'm going to go on a spree and write as many books in that genre as my publisher will have. Any other genres will just be cream.

Annayna · Feb 7, 2010

I plan to do the same.. Though I might use the same name for everything.. Unless I play in erotica

ChaosTitan · Feb 7, 2010

Jamesaritchie said:
But it's like Lawrence Block's recipe for rabbit stew. . .first, catch a rabbit.

I love this advice. Love it.

I also received similar agent advice as Claudia - establish myself first in one genre, then branch out. We've been chatting a bit recently about my future career plans, and certainly, I want to write more than just urban fantasy. Will I ever use a pen name? No idea. Depends on what I end up writing in the future.

But planning out pen names and the six different genres you want to sell in is...well, it's fun to dream, yes?

But you're planning your dinner party without having actually caught that elusive rabbit yet.

fadeaccompli · Feb 7, 2010

JackinElgin said:
I too have a structured writing career plan.

Step 1: Be awesome.
Step 2: Repeat.

Now there's a career plan I can subscribe to. Do you offer brochures?

Jamesaritchie · Feb 7, 2010

ChaosTitan said:
I love this advice. Love it.

I also received similar agent advice as Claudia - establish myself first in one genre, then branch out. We've been chatting a bit recently about my future career plans, and certainly, I want to write more than just urban fantasy. Will I ever use a pen name? No idea. Depends on what I end up writing in the future.

But planning out pen names and the six different genres you want to sell in is...well, it's fun to dream, yes? But you're planning your dinner party without having actually caught that elusive rabbit yet.

I love that Block's advice, too. I've followed it for a lot of years, and it works very, very well.

Jamesaritchie · Feb 7, 2010

Soma Gardawski said:
I plan to do the same.. Though I might use the same name for everything.. Unless I play in erotica

It isn't always a choice. You may not be allowed to write in another genre, for another publisher, under the same name you use for the first publisher.

And for most writers, it's a bad idea to have too many new books competing with each other under the same name.

LOG · Feb 7, 2010

ATM, all of my works would deal some form of fiction, so I figure I can keep my one pen-name for all of them.

shaldna · Feb 8, 2010

kal-el said:
But I want to remain the same person for all my work. It's what I want!

Realistically, if you are known as a horror writer or a writer of erotica, a publisher may well insist that you use a pen name for any childrens books.

It's just common sense.

And I agree with what Claudia said, concetrate first of all on one genre and really establish yourself in it before figuring out where else you want to go.

Jamesaritchie · Feb 8, 2010

LOG said:
ATM, all of my works would deal some form of fiction, so I figure I can keep my one pen-name for all of them.

It sometimes works this way, but generally not. For the most part, unelss you're talking SF and fantasy, different genres often require different names.

Multi-genre novelists

kal-el

scarletpeaches

Parametric

kal-el

Parametric

kal-el

Parametric

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

JackinElgin

back for more

Jamesaritchie

kaitie

With great power comes

Birol

Around and About

WildScribe

Slave to the Wordcount

Claudia Gray

Caitlin Black

Wild one

Annayna

Vampire

ChaosTitan

Around

fadeaccompli

here and there again

Jamesaritchie

Jamesaritchie

LOG

Lagrangian

shaldna

The cake is a lie. But still cake.

Jamesaritchie